The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for storing or dispensing paper sheets or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus wherein the sheets of a stream of successive sheets can be temporarily stored between the convolutions of an elongated flexible band which is wound around the core of a roll or the like.
It is already known to temporarily store partially overlapping sheets of a scalloped or similar stream of paper sheets or the like between the convolutions of a flexible band which is wound onto the core of a roll, and to dispense such sheets by unwinding the band so that it exposes successive increments of the stored stream. A drawback of presently known apparatus of such character is that relatively long intervals of time elapse between the removal of a freshly filled roll and the start of delivery of next-following sheets to a band which is to be convoluted onto a fresh (empty) core. The same holds true when two or more full rolls of stored sheets must be relieved of stored sheets one after the other, i.e., the intervals between removal of the last sheet from a preceding roll and the start of removal of sheets from the next roll are too long. This can create problems when the sheets are to be delivered to a machine which consumes or processes large quantities of sheets per unit of time and must receive a practically uninterrupted stream of sheets. Thus, the machine which supplies sheets to, or a machine which receives sheets from, such apparatus must be arrested whenever a filled roll is to be replaced with a fresh core or whenever an expired roll is to be replaced with a fresh roll which is highly undesirable, especially when the machine forms part of a production line. Alternativey, it is necessary to provide complex and bulky intermediate reservoirs or analogous facilities which can supply sheets to a consuming machine during the intervals between the removal of sheets from successive rolls or which can receive sheets from a producing machine (e.g., a press) during the interval between the removal of a freshly filled roll and the placing of an empty core to requisite position for reception of sheets.